Menu holder



'J. OLSEN MENU HOLDER Oct. 24, 1939.

Filed June 8. 1939 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 SETS PATENT oFFicE This invention relates to improvements in card holders'and especially to holders for menu cards and the like, particular reference being had to attachments adapted for use in combination with counter furniture, table napkin dispensers, and

kindred devices.

In the past it has been common practice to retain menus in a vertical position on a table or counter by standing them between various condiment and sugar dispensers when a menu holder proper is not actually employed. Usually when one or the other of such dispensers is removed for use the menu falls over on the counter or table.

16 Menu holders of many designs have been suggested and constructed but they have usually been in the form of an independent apparatus with no relation to or dependence on any furnishing. It was with these inherent defects in view that the present invention was designed.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a combined dispenser and menu or card holder of increased utility; to provide a menu or card holder which may be stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal and readily bent to the desired shape; to provide a menu or card holder which may be attached to a dispenser without material alteration to the dispenser; to provide a holder for supporting indicia bearings cards in combination with a dispenser; and to provide a device of this kind which is simple in construction and operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

This invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved menu holder of one-clip design attached to a napkin dispenser.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the fiat blank used in forming the menu holder after the first punching operation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the menu holder before attachment to the dispenser.

I Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of a modified form of my device and shows a napkin dispenser in combination with a two-clip double style menu holder.

Referring in detail to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawing, the napkin dispenser is of the usual design comprising two side walls I and 2, top 3.

bottom 4 and a pair of oppositely disposed perforated end walls 5. Napkins 6, usually paper, are stored withinthe dispenser and are singly Withdrawable through the perforations in the end walls 5.

The single-clip menu holder here shown com- 5 prises an oblong strip 1 of sheet metal provided with a U-shaped slot 8 to form a resilient tongue 9 disposed lengthwise of the strip. Strip 1 is also provided with two oppositely disposed slots l0 and II substantially at the bend-line l. The 10 end I2 of the strip 7 and the free end 9' of the tongue 9 are bent upwardly, the tongue less sharply than the main body, at about right angles along the dotted line 7 (see Fig. 2) and then slightly further to assume about an angle, thereby inclining the face of the upturned portion l2 and tongue part 9'. The tip of the tongue 9" is then bent outwardly to effect an easy entrance for the menu or other card M by a kind of V-opening between the inner face of the up- 2 turned part 9 and 9" of the spring tongue 9 and the outer inclined face of the upturned plate part l2.

The slots [0 and H extend diagonally inward and backward toward the tongue base and termi- 5 nate at line 1'. They are preferably arcuate and bow inwardly somewhat. When the plate is bent these angular parts l5 stand out as shoulders to help support the menu.

This menu holder is attached to the bottom 4 30 of the dispenser by any suitable means, such as by machine screw l6 which extends through the hole I! in the plate 1 and into the internally threaded boss 3' on the bottom 4.

When the menu is set in place as in Fig. 1 its 35 bottom part is clamped medially and lateral tipping is prevented by its resting on the horizontal shoulders I5. The dispenser as a whole has feet i9 which keep the bottom up off the table somewhat. 40

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 6 the same idea is carried forward as disclosed in the preferred embodiment. All that is done here is to provide menu holders or clips on both of the sides I and 2 of the dispenser of the 45 same form as shown in Fig. 3. The two-clip form as disclosed shows it constructed of a single stamping 2| but it can readily be seen that two menu holder clips of the same design disclosed in Fig. 3 may be employed on opposite sides of the dispenser by shortening the length of the tongue 9.

It is to be understood that some of the details set forth may be altered or omitted Without de- 55 parting from the spirit of my invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A menu holder comprising a resilient sheetmetal clip formed of an oblong plate having a long-armed U-shaped slot disposed lengthwise thereof, the main body of said plate being abruptly bent upwardly crosswise thereof at substantially a right-angle and the tongue of the U-part being bent somewhat further, on about the same bend axis, but a little nearer the tongue tip and less abruptly to grip the menu cards resiliently on their face and back parts.

2. A menu holder comprising a resilient sheetmetal clip formed of an oblong plate having a long-armed U-shaped slot disposed lengthwise thereof, and with a pair of medially positioned notches formed on the long edges of the plate and pointing diagonally inward from the U-base end, said plate being bent at substantially a rightangle through the apexes of said notches and across said tongue, the horizontal supporting part of said tongue being normally flush with the corresponding part of the plate body and being yieldable downwardly in use to accommodate outward swing of the upright other part when a menu is inserted back of the tip, and the spurs bent at substantially a right-angle through theapexes of said notches and the tongue of the U-part being bent on about the same bend axis but somewhat nearer the tongue tip and less abruptly to hold the menus resiliently, the spurs formed at said notches being adapted to serve as foot-rests for the menu cards.

JOHN OLSEN. 

